Margot Robbie Defends Her Screen Time In ‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’

"She’s the heartbeat of the story. I saw her as a ray of light.”
- by
Hannah Crawley

24 May
2019

The world is abuzz with news about Quentin Tarantino’s latest film foray, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.

The feature film which stars Hollywood heavyweights, Leonardo Dicaprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie and delves into the real-life madness of LA in 1969, including the incomprehensible Charles Manson murders, premiered at Cannes Film Festival earlier this week and reportedly received a “six-minute” standing ovation by the audience.

However, underneath the wash of rave reviews, Robbie’s screen time in the film has come under criticism. During a panel with director Quentin Tarantino and the cast, a reporter posed the question, asking why such an important character would have so few lines compared to her two male co-stars. Playing late actress, Sharon Tate, who fell victim to the crimes of Manson in 1969, Robbie has undoubtedly been a drawcard for the film.

Since the announcement of her casting, Robbie has emulated Tate on many red carpets, with the likeness between the two stars described as “uncanny”. To this day, the mystery that surrounds the Manson murders continues to amass worldwide interest. So, there’s little wonder why her role in this upcoming film has accumulated intrigue during the promotional period

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In response to the question, Robbie offered some light on the film’s subject. “I always look to the character and what the character is supposed to serve to the story,” she explained.

“I think the moments that I got on screen gave an opportunity to honour Sharon and the likeness. I don’t think it was intended to delve deeper … I think the tragedy was ultimately the loss of innocence, and I think to show those wonderful sides of her could be done without speaking.”

“I think I got a lot of time to explore the character, even without dialogue specifically.”

Director Tarantino was less forthcoming about the decision to give Robbie reduced dialogue, flatly responding to the critique, “I reject your hypothesis”. And while the creative choices of Tarantino have been backed by his cast and industry peers, there’s no surprise that during a #MeToo era - a movement which primarily began due to the longstanding sexism in the entertainment industry – that this has come under fire.

Hannah CrawleyFull-time digital content manager and part-time ballet dancer, Hannah is always on the hunt for emerging trends in fashion and beauty. When she’s not saving every single one of Alexa Chung’s Instagram posts, she enjoys spending time with her cats (most likely while trying the latest Korean sheet mask).